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From: engst@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Adam C. Engst)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st,comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Interactive fiction
Message-ID: <875@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu>
Date: Sat, 2-May-87 17:51:02 EDT
Article-I.D.: batcompu.875
Posted: Sat May  2 17:51:02 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 3-May-87 08:03:57 EDT
Reply-To: engst@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu.UUCP (Adam C. Engst)
Distribution: world
Organization: Cornell Theory Center, Cornell University, Ithaca NY
Lines: 38
Summary: anyone interested?
Xref: mnetor comp.sys.atari.st:3200 comp.sys.mac:2842 comp.sys.amiga:4420



Hi,
   I have started a discussion group at the University of Maine's bboard on
interactive fiction, a new subject that I'm majoring in at Cornell University
(ok, so I'm an independent major bored by the conventional).  The group at
Maine hasn't gotten a huge number of responses, partly because there aren't 
that many people who use CSNEWS@MAINE.  It is also only a bitnet group, and 
doesn't have (as far as I know) unix/usenet access.  
   Anyway, I am writing this because I would like to get people to 
participate in the discussion, which they can't do unless they know about it.
Also, if there is enough interest (email me at either of the addresses at the
bottom) I could try to set up a parallel group on Usenet, though I have 
absolutely no idea as to how this could be done.
   The basic premise of interactive fiction is that it removes the linearity
from fiction and replaces it with a fluid, branching presentation that 
requires input from the reader.  Thus it brings the author and the reader 
much closer in the creative process.  I have a number of ideas on the subject
that I have already posted to CSNEWS, so if you want to read them, and are on
a bitnet machine (IBM anyway) type . . .
    TELL CSNEWS@MAINE SENDME INT_FICT CSNOTICE FROM CSBB ( ASIS
To do the same thing from a VMS or Unix machine, just replace TELL with your
favorite interactive message command and the proper syntax.  On VMS that 
would be SEND/REMOTE and on Unix RSEND (I think). 
   I am posting this to the three 68000-based micro's newsgroups because 
interactive fiction require a graphic interface to allow the author to keep
track of the various branchings in his text, which should be rather complex.
Prof. Jay Bolter (visiting at Cornell) has  program working, called
StorySpace, that allows one to write this fiction on the Macintosh.  I see
no reason why this couldn't work on either the ST or the Amiga if someone
(I'm going to try once I learn C (can anyone help me with the evnt_multi() 
call in Megamax C for the ST?  PLEASE?)) does some work on it.  
     So, step right up and add your name to the list of people interested
in interactive fiction!
                                    Adam Engst

engst@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu.UUCP
pv9y@cornella.bitnet